(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tilt meter, and more particularly, to a tilt meter for monitoring angle shift in an incident signal based on a transmission through a resonator.
(2) Description of Related Art
Resonators are bodies in which periodic events such as oscillations take place. There are a range of resonators over a wide range of fields, such as electronic, mechanic, optics, and others. One way of measuring the “quality” of a resonator is by using the Q factor of that resonator. The Q factor or quality factor is a measure of the “quality” of a resonant system. Resonant systems respond to inputs (e.g., frequencies, angles of incidence, etc.) close to their natural resonances much more strongly than they respond to other inputs. The Q factor indicates the amount of resistance to resonance in a system. Systems with a high Q factor resonate with a greater amplitude (at the resonant frequency) than systems with a low Q factor. Damping decreases the Q factor. Resonators have therefore been used to measure and monitor any change in frequency since a change in frequency would decrease the Q factor of the system.
In addition to monitoring a change in frequency, it is desirable in some circumstances to monitor the angle of incident. However, nothing heretofore devised has used a resonator to monitor this angle.
Thus, a continuing need exists for a system that allows a user to monitor the angle of incident based on a transmission through a resonator.